The Estonian Defence Forces hosted the exercise, which included both conscripts from the January fire battery and reservists from Estonia, alongside artillery teams from Poland’s 1st Artillery Brigade.
According to Major Meelis Tasa, Deputy Commander of the Estonian Artillery Battalion, the exercise was designed to test the skills of soldiers transitioning to reserve service and to refresh the knowledge of reservists.
“The participation of the Polish unit provided us with a valuable opportunity to practice rapid reinforcement of fire support and to integrate allied units into Estonia’s fire support system,” Major Tasa said.
This marks the first time that Polish and Estonian artillery forces have collaborated in this capacity, using the K9 howitzers to conduct joint drills.
Colonel Roman Piediuk, the Polish Defence Attaché in Estonia, expressed optimism about the collaboration, stating, “Joint training is always positive—we have a chance to see Estonian units using equipment similar to ours, and I hope our Estonian colleagues can learn from our experience.”
The Äkktuli 2024 exercise was the final event for Estonian conscripts in the January fire battery and involved various units from the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades of the Estonian Defence Forces.
The exercise focused on refining indirect fire skills and expertise, while strengthening the readiness and cooperation of both Estonian and Polish artillery forces.
Poland and Estonia both operate the K9 self-propelled howitzers, a modern artillery system that has gained widespread use across NATO’s eastern flank.
Alongside Poland and Estonia, Finland and Norway also field the K9, and earlier this year Romania signed a contract to acquire the system.
